Hacking Nokia phones with Python

I recently switched to Nokia N72 and tried to look around to find out if i can write enhancements for it. Viola, Nokia has a released an open source python runtime, which works for almost all nokia phones. Of course you need to know your OS version and stuff, which is not too difficult to figure out, there is this page thats lists out S60 versions for all Nokia phones known to the world. N72 happens to run 2nd Ed Feature Pack 3.

How to install:Pull up http://sourceforge.net/projects/pys60/ and download the right SDK and ScriptShell(you can use the SIS files). Transfer the downloads to your phone(i used bluetooth file transfer), install them and bang, you should have the python icon on your applications menu. For me it appeared in a sub directory called My Own. Project’s download page hosts a PDF file, which has documentation for the SDK. You may want to keep that handy as well….

For quite some time, i struggled with this little problem of application icon failing to show up, and the SDK being displayed as INSTALLED(in my phone’s application manager)(uninstalling/reinstalling didn’t help). The fix it to install ScriptShell, which brings up the icon. Once both SDK and script shell are installed, you can use the app icon to launch python scripts OR use the interactive shell, just like you would on your computer.

Hope this post will help, and you won’t end up wasting as much time as i did on getting it to work.

About

Janmejay Singh

I’m a developer/consultant working for ThoughtWorks. I primarily work on Java, Ruby, Python, JavaScript and Lisp. I believe in Free Software philosophy and GNU project, and am generally interested in FOSS activities. Hacking is my hobby I happen to get paid for it…..